Not Dying
by ANormalTiger
Summary: Written for a prompt over on the kink meme: "I just want a feverish headachey sore-throated Tony lying almost asleep with his head in Pepper's lap while she strokes his hair." Pepperony


With no public appearances or meetings to worry about, Pepper decides to relax while working through the pile of legal documents she has to get through before the end of the business day tomorrow. Bruce and Tony are holed up in their labs, Clint is away on a mission, Steve and Natasha are training, and Thor is back on Asgard, so there's little chance of distraction. She takes the opportunity to take up residence on the couch in the living area.

The television is on as background noise. It's on a news station, giving her the ability to glance up periodically while her focus still remains on the screen of the tablet in her hands.

Hours pass by without any interruption. She takes a break to get a small snack from the kitchen, but she goes right back to her work after settling on the couch once more. It's nice to be comfortable while working, not that her office isn't comfortable.

Not unlike any other time, the thing (or, rather, person) that does break her concentration is none other than Tony Stark.

The elevator doors slide open to reveal a pale, rosy-cheeked Tony. His eyes are unfocused, and he doesn't seem to recognize that anyone else is present.

"Tony," she says softly, wanting to alert him to her presence without startling him.

He doesn't jump or make a sound, but he does look mildly surprised. He tries to straighten up, but she sees right through his attempt. "Pepp, I'm," he starts, but his voice cracks before he can continue.

"Sick," Pepper fills in. She puts the tablet down on the cushion next to her and stands to walk over to him. He looks like he's about to protest, but she just gives him one of her looks while placing her hand on his forehead. "With a fever."

Tony leans into the coolness of her hand. It's only a small relief, but he's exhausted and in pain. His head and throat have been throbbing for days, and he's been having hot and cold flashes. Part of him wants to blow all of this off like it's nothing. He hates being weak, being seen as weak, but this is the woman that's seen him at his absolute worst (and has stuck around the whole time). Besides, it's already been two days, and he isn't feeling any better.

Pepper gives him a disapproving look, as if she can read his mind. She probably can. "You need to rest," she says and leads him back to the elevator by his hand.

Getting Tony into bed is surprisingly easy. Pepper strips his shoes and socks off. He curls up under the blankets the second she lets go of his ankle.

"Tony," Pepper starts, feeling her stomach twist in a way that makes her think ishe/i might be sick.

"Mm?"

"This is just... the flu or something, right?" She asks, unable to control the surge of fear that runs through her.

Tony pokes his head out from under the blankets to look at her. Even his glassy eyes still manage to look analytical. "I'm not dying, Pepp."

"Okay," she breathes out. "Okay," she says again, this time sounding like her usual self. "I'm going to get you some water. You need fluids. And medicine." It's clear his throat is at least sore, and she has no doubt his head hurts. He always gets a headache when he's sick. "Do you want another blanket? I should check your temperature too. JARVIS?"

"101.2, Miss Potts."

"Thank you, JARVIS. I'll be back in a moment, Tony," she says. She waits for him to nod his head. His eyes are closed again.

It only takes a few minutes for her to collect the blanket and two water bottles. She lays the blanket out over him after getting him to sit up and take a couple of sips of water. She leaves the two bottles next to their bed and goes in search for medication.

Once he's medicated and as comfortable as possible, she leaves him alone to sleep. He should start to feel better once he gets a few hours in. JARVIS is instructed to let her know if his fever hasn't dropped within an hour and a half, or if anything else changes.

Getting focused on the documents isn't as easy as before. She's worried about Tony, even though JARVIS has already reassured her that Tony is only suffering from a minor illness. It does put her at ease to have JARVIS monitoring Tony for her. JARVIS can pick up on things that she can't.

Her phone starts vibrating next to her. She picks it up and answers it with her usual greeting. The call ends up lasting well over an hour; the majority of which is just off topic babbling by the other party. She reads through the document on her screen while making sure to respond with the 'uh-huh' and 'yeah's in appropriate places. The call isn't unlike having Tony babbling in her ear while she works, and she finds it easier to actually focus on the words on the screen.

She's too caught up in everything going on to even hear the elevator door open. She doesn't hear the footsteps approach her either. She does see Tony just before he curls up on the couch. He pushes the tablet over, causing it to fall in between the couch and her leg, and rests his head on her lap.

Pepper smiles and strokes her fingers through his hair. For a second, she thinks about having a talk about JARVIS about this. He was supposed to tell her if anything changed, but she knows Tony probably threatened him to keep quiet.

"Yes, well, I'll have the department look into it... Yes, of course... I'm afraid I must go. I have a very important meeting to get to... Thank you for your time." She hangs the phone up after that and looks down at Tony, "How're you feeling?

"Shitty." He says before adding. "A little better."

"Good," she moves the tablet to the arm of the couch so it's still accessible without being in either of their way. Her other hand continues to stroke through his hair.

It's not long before he's fallen back to sleep, and Pepper reabsorbs herself in her work. 


End file.
